Independent advice for special educational needs and disability (SEND)

The Council for Disabled Children have created this short animation to help explain what the Information, advice and support service (IASS) must do to support you or your family

Health and social care

Contact Healthwatch Leicestershire to ask for:

• someone to step in, to speak to a healthcare provider (such as a GP or dentist), for you
• help to make a complaint about health or social care services
• information about what care you or your child can get

Your child’s condition

Search our Information and Support Directory for community and parent groups that can give you advice about your child’s disability or condition.

Education

There are 2 organisations you can contact for advice about your rights and what you can do about:

• problems with your child’s school
• your child being excluded from school
• asking for an assessment
• annual reviews of your child’s Education, Health and Care (EHC) Plan
• disability discrimination 

SEND Information Advice and Support Service (SENDIASS Leicestershire)
Telephone: 0116 305 5614
Monday to Thursday 9am to 4.30pm, Friday 9am to 4pm
Email: sendiass@leics.gov.uk
More information about SENDIASS

Independent Parental Special Educational Advice (IPSEA) helpline
If you can't find the information you are looking for on their website, the helpline now operates as a call back service offering 30 minute telephone advice sessions that you can book at a time to suit you (subject to availability):
IPSEA call back service

Help with assessments

You can get an independent supporter to help you and your child with assessments for SEND Support Plans and EHC Plans. They can also help you if you disagree with a decision.

An independent supporter can:

• help you prepare for meetings 
• go with you to meetings
• explain the assessment process to you and talk through what your child can get
• help you to write your views

They can’t:

• make decisions for you
• go to meetings without you
• help you with other family problems – their role is to help you with the assessment process

To get an independent supporter you can contact the following service:

SEND Information Advice and Support Service (SENDIASS Leicestershire)
Telephone: 0116 3055614
Monday to Thursday 9am to 4.30pm, Friday 9am to 4pm
Email: sendiass@leics.gov.uk
More information about SENDIASS

Residents of Leicester city should contact SENDIASS Leicester.

Disagreements

There are independent organisations that can help you solve:

•  disagreements about your child’s Education, Health and Care (EHC) Plan
• other special educational needs and disability disagreements